As another week in Hollywood passes and we edge closer to the heart of summer movie season, both Jordan Peele and Warner Bros. announced dates for their upcoming films. Peele revealed on social media that his fourth outing as director is slated for October 2026, possibly pointing towards his next film being a horror flick, whilst Warner Bros and Apple Studios have teamed up and dated a Formula 1 movie for June of next year. That film comes from the mind of Top Gun: Maverick director Joseph Kosinski and Academy-award-winning actor Brad Pitt, it also carries a super-sized budget of $300 million. Also, a sequel to Uncharted - which starred Tom Holland and was based on the popular action-adventure video game series - is in the works.
Nevertheless, as Inside Out 2 had a simply astonishing second-week hold as it grossed $101 million domestically (that movie is surely going to crack $1 billion worldwide, right?), what else has been going on in the film industry over the last week? From our first look at an upcoming horror sequel to movie reunions galore, there has been plenty of movie news that has dropped about potential future films in the entertainment industry as we said a sad goodbye to one of Hollywood’s acting giants too. So, let’s get into the biggest news stories that broke in the world of film!
Naomi Scott Plays A Pop Star In First ‘Smile 2’ Trailer
Parker Finn, who helmed Smile back in 2022, is back with more happy faces as we were treated with our first look at Smile 2 last week. The sequel to the surprise box-office break-out hit sees Naomi Scott (Aladdin) play Skye Riley, a global pop superstar (think Taylor Swift), who experiences truly terrifying events and is stalked by smiley faces all whilst coming face-to-face with her past. Along for the scares are Lukas Gage and Rosemarie Dewitt, with a brand-new poster dropping alongside the sequel’s first trailer.
In all honesty, I haven’t seen the first Smile movie so I have no idea what to expect with this follow-up. But, I do remember how effective that film’s marketing was and how its promotional campaign went viral on social media (photos of people creepily smiling to the camera at baseball games went online). Despite not having watched the first movie, though, I still watched the trailer for Smile 2 and it looks genuinely creepy but it does feature the opening lyrics to what is set up to be a pretty catchy song too. Also, after being in a family-skewed Disney live-action remake of Aladdin, it’s great to see Naomi Scott all but do a 180-degree turn and star in a horror movie. Smile 2 will bring the happy faces and the scares to cinemas in October.
‘Spaceballs’ Sequel Finally In The Works, Presumably In ‘The Search For More Money’
At long last, the Schwartz has returned! It was announced this past week that a sequel to Spaceballs is officially in the works over at Amazon and MGM. The 1987 comedy - which was written and directed by Mel Brooks (who also starred in not one, but two roles in the film) - spoofed many sci-fi movies of that era, like the original Star Wars trilogy and Star Trek to name a couple, and revolved around President Skroob (Brooks) plotting to steal the atmosphere from planet Druidia. Here, however, no plot details have been released nor has any news been reported on possible casting. But, the sequel will be produced by and star Josh Gad with Josh Greenbaum (Strays) attached to direct, whilst Mel Brooks will also produce the film.
The last we heard talk of a possible Spaceballs sequel was a little over a decade ago when Rick Moranis (who played Dark Helmet) had made claims he pitched a sequel to Brooks called Spaceballs III: The Search for Spaceballs II. Since then, outside of interviews, there has been no real sign of progress regarding a possible sequel…until now. On one hand, I should be very excited by this news; I love Spaceballs, it’s one of my favorite comedies of the 1980s, and I think it’s one of Mel Brooks’ underrated films. Yet, on the other side, John Candy - who played Barf in the movie - is sadly no longer with us and it remains to be seen whether Rick Moranis would want to return to the role of Dark Helmet (it looks highly unlikely). Those two actors were such big beating hearts of Mel Brooks’ 1987 comedy about the Schwartz and a flying Winnebago in space; it wouldn’t be right without them and leaves me worried about what Josh Gad and everyone else has in store. So, it’s bittersweet news for me and, generally, the announcement of a sequel is just a mixed bag.
Donald Sutherland Dies At 88, Remembering An Acting Icon
In sad news, Donald Sutherland has passed away at the age of 88 after a long illness. Known for starring in seminal films of the 1970s - M*A*S*H, Klute, Don’t Look Now, and Invasion of the Body Snatchers (among others) - that were important pieces of their time and in their genres, the screen icon was also well-known by more modern moviegoers for his work in The Hunger Games franchise. There, he played the scheming and villainous President Snow. Outside of his most recognized roles, though, Sutherland also lent his acting presence to a whole host of other films that earned the actor widespread praise like Ordinary People and 2005’s Pride & Prejudice. He would also be recognized and honored by The Academy of Motion Pictures for his pivotal contributions to cinema in 2017.
A giant of an actor, who always made the small roles big and the big ones even bigger. I rewatched Animal House recently and, even though he plays a small part in the film, Sutherland still managed to bring his own unique comedic style to his role as the college professor who gets stoned with his students. He also appeared in Ad Astra - a criminally underrated sci-fi flick - in a brief yet meaningful role and brought considerable zest and a larger-than-life presence in not just that movie but in countless others too. He will be sorely missed, but always remembered for his terrific performances and for being a very important part of film history too. My thoughts go out to his family and friends. Rest in Peace, legend.
In Other News…
After a decade apart, Richard Linklater and Ethan Hawke - one of my favorite director-actor duos - are reuniting for Blue Moon. Linklater’s upcoming flick, which is said to be a passion project for the filmmaker and chronicles the life of Lorenz Hart, was just picked up by Sony Pictures to help bring this story to life. Fresh off of his streaming success with Hit Man (you can read my thoughts on that movie here), the director has assembled a great cast as Margaret Qualley, Andrew Scott, and Bobby Cannavale are attached to star in unconfirmed roles. Ethan Hawke, who had a hand in developing the story, does feature in the ensemble of Blue Moon. Look, as I’ve mentioned before, I love Richard Linklater and the movies he’s made so I’m naturally excited to watch this film - regardless of the fact I’m unfamiliar with the story and the inspiration behind it. The fact he’s partnering up with Ethan Hawke (one of my favorite actors) as well is just a big bonus. No release date has been revealed yet, but I’m sure that will be released in due course.
And lastly, Matt Damon and Ben Affleck are teaming up once again for RIP. It is meant to be a crime-thriller, with both stars producing the film under their production company (Artists Equity), and Joe Carnahan - who made Smokin’ Aces, The Grey, and more recently Copshop - is on board to direct. As someone who loved last year’s Air (as well as a few other Damon-Affleck film projects), I am very much intrigued by this upcoming collaboration of theirs and just eager to know more about this film. If RIP is anything like Air, then we could be in for a really good treat. And while no release date has been revealed nor have any pieces of information regarding casting been announced, I’m just happy we’re getting more films from Ben Affleck and Matt Damon - which is truly proving to be one of Hollywood’s all-time great friendships.
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